Scheduling Coordinator

Scheduling Coordinator

Job Title: Scheduling Coordinator

Department: Operations

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

FLSA Status: Exempt, Salaried

Position Summary

The Scheduling Coordinator is responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing the master schedule for approximately 150 clients and direct care staff. This role plays a critical part in ensuring authorized services are delivered, clinical recommendations are implemented, and staff resources are utilized efficiently.

The Scheduling Coordinator serves as the central point of coordination between families, clinical teams, intake, recruiting, and administrative staff to maximize client access to services while supporting organizational productivity goals. Success in this role requires exceptional problem-solving skills, strong communication, attention to detail, persistence, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

This position focuses on long-term scheduling strategy and management rather than day-of-service staffing. While the Scheduling Coordinator may support Administrative Assistants with identifying coverage options, responsibility for same-day cancellations remains with local administrative support teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Master Schedule Management

• Build, maintain, and continuously optimize the organization's master schedule for approximately 150 clients and staff.
• Ensure schedules align with clinical recommendations, payer authorizations, staff availability, and operational best practices.
• Identify scheduling gaps and proactively implement solutions to maximize service delivery.
• Develop and maintain long-term coverage plans for planned staff absences, leaves, vacations, and schedule changes.
• Coordinate advance-notice substitute coverage to minimize disruptions in client services.
• Monitor schedule effectiveness and make ongoing adjustments to improve efficiency and service utilization.

Client and Staff Availability Management

• Collect, document, and maintain accurate client and staff availability information.
• Conduct frequent outreach to families and staff to verify and update availability.
• Work collaboratively with families to expand scheduling options when clinically appropriate.
• Partner with staff to identify opportunities for increased availability that support client needs and organizational goals.
• Maintain current scheduling information within all designated systems and databases.

Service Delivery Optimization

• Monitor authorized hours versus scheduled and delivered hours.
• Identify clients at risk of underutilization and develop plans to increase service delivery.
• Work closely with Clinical Directors, BCBAs, and Operations leadership to address barriers to authorized hour utilization.
• Ensure scheduling practices support continuity of care and client treatment plans.
• Balance client needs, staff preferences, payer requirements, and operational priorities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Intake teams to schedule new clients and reduce time-to-start services.
• Partner with Recruiting regarding staffing needs, hiring priorities, and workforce capacity planning.
• Work closely with Clinical teams to understand client needs, recommended service hours, and staffing requirements.
• Support Administrative Assistants by identifying long-term solutions for recurring coverage challenges.
• Participate in operational meetings and provide scheduling insights and recommendations.

Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Ensure schedules comply with payer requirements, authorization parameters, and clinical recommendations.
• Maintain accurate documentation related to scheduling decisions and changes.
• Support compliance with organizational policies, service delivery expectations, and operational standards.
• Monitor scheduling practices for adherence to established scheduling guidelines and best practices.

Communication and Problem Solving

• Serve as a primary point of contact for scheduling-related questions and concerns.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with families, staff, and leadership.
• Resolve scheduling conflicts through collaboration, creative problem-solving, and sound judgment.
• Escalate significant scheduling barriers and service delivery risks to leadership as needed.
• Foster positive working relationships across departments to support organizational goals.

Qualifications

Education

• Associate's degree required; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant scheduling, healthcare, or operations experience may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of scheduling, workforce planning, operations coordination, healthcare administration, or related experience.
• Experience managing complex schedules involving multiple stakeholders preferred.
• Experience in ABA, pediatric healthcare, therapy services, or a similar service-delivery environment strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage a large volume of moving pieces while maintaining accuracy.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence without direct authority.
• Ability to navigate difficult conversations with professionalism and empathy.
• Proficiency with scheduling systems, electronic health records, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to analyze utilization and productivity metrics and translate insights into action plans.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multiple departments.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Client Authorization Utilization

• Percentage of authorized client hours scheduled and delivered.
• Reduction in unutilized authorized hours.
• Improvement in client service delivery rates.

RBT Productivity

• Percentage of paid hours spent in billable service delivery.
• Improvement in scheduled billable opportunities.
• Reduction in gaps and non-billable time within staff schedules.

RBT Utilization

• Percentage of available staff capacity scheduled.
• Reduction in open client hours caused by staffing inefficiencies.
• Effective matching of client needs with staff availability.

Scheduling Effectiveness

• Time to fill open client hours.
• Percentage of clients meeting recommended treatment hours.
• Accuracy and timeliness of availability updates.
• Long-term coverage success rate for planned absences.
• Reduction in schedule disruptions related to preventable staffing gaps.

Success Profile

The ideal Scheduling Coordinator is highly organized, data-driven, persistent, and solutions-oriented. They thrive in complex operational environments, enjoy solving scheduling puzzles, and are motivated by ensuring clients receive the services they need while helping staff maximize their time and effectiveness. This individual is comfortable collaborating across departments and can balance the needs of clients, families, staff, clinical teams, and the organization to achieve outstanding outcomes.